Japan’s JK ‘reflexology’ parlors offer more than foot massages

Last week, Tokyo Metropolitan Police initiated a sweep through 17 so-called joshi kosei (high-school girl) “reflexology” massage parlors, in which female employees, often under 18 years of age, are intimate contact with customers.

Nikkan Gendai (Jan. 29) goes into detail about what services extend beyond the basic foot massage, the service that is typically advertised.

On January 27, officers from the juvenile affairs division searched the clubs in entertainment districts in the Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Akihabara areas. Officers are now building cases against the managers of the establishments for violations related to the Labor Standards Act regarding harmful employment.

Of the employees on the premises at the time of the raids, 76 of the 115 females were minors. Four employees were 15 years old.

Dubbed “JK rifure” for short, the parlors began to increase in Akihabara and Ikebukuro one or two years ago. The total number of establishments in the metropolis is believed to be approximately 80, a fuzoku (or sex-industry related) writer tells Nikkan Gendai.

“The basic entry fee is 3,000 yen,” says the aforementioned scribe. “For that, the customer can lie down next to the school girl and chat with her. Beyond that, extras are available.”

The writer goes on to provide examples of the added services girls will offer for 1,000 yen each: hugs, their thighs as pillows, and slaps to the face.

“The shop keeps half of the fees,” continues the source. “So for a 30-minute basic visit, and 10 seconds for each of the added services, a girl will receive 2,500 yen.”

According to Nikkan Gendai, the girls find the work distasteful but the pocket money makes it worthwhile. But how far will the makeshift masseuses take things?

“After school, a girl might work for two or three years, in which she’ll earn 6,000 yen,” says a shop employee.

That figure will rapidly increase to between 20,000 and 30,000 yen if she will provide such “off the menu” options as kisses (3,000 yen), hand-jobs (5,000 yen), and blow-jobs (10,000 yen).

“There are girls who pull in 500,000 yen a month,” assures the aforementioned employee.

“The girls will establish a presence on social media sites with an aim of communicating with customers,” says the same shop employee. “They’ll have their schedules booked so quickly a Ginza hostess would blush. With this, the ‘off the menu’ options are not even necessary.” (A.T.)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.